


Contour

by zum



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: Autistic Dee, Autistic Dennis, Gen, Genderfluid Dennis, Trans Dee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-10-01 20:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10199306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zum/pseuds/zum
Summary: Dennis does Dee's makeup and then his own.





	

**Author's Note:**

> brief mention of transmisogyny

“It won’t last,” Barbara said from the door frame. Dennis and Dee both jumped in the air and the eyebrow pencil Dennis was holding clattered to the floor. “You’re going to smear it all in seconds. You always come home so sweaty from school and everyone knows you’re just—“

“I’ve got gym last period,” Dee said, reaching to try and grab the eyebrow pencil with her toes to pick it up. It almost worked. Dennis helped the rest of the way. “And no one knows, Mom. Give it a rest.” 

“I’m sure, Deandra,” Barbara said, having lost interest in the conversation already. “At least say thank you to your brother. He’s deigning to help you in such a fruitless task.”

Barbara left. Neither Dennis nor Dee noticed, really, as Dennis leaned forward to continue filling in Dee’s eyebrows while Dee gripped the seat of the vanity stool desperately because the texture of the pencil hurt. 

“Wanna try contouring, Den? Can you fix my nose?”

“Only a nose job’s gonna break that beak off your face.”

“Later… for now, though, learn how to contour.”

“I know how to contour.”

“Well then do it!” Dee waved her hands over her face, waiting for the magic. 

“… If I do it on your face, it’ll just look bad.”

“Our faces are the same! The exact same!”

“It’s enough. I can’t do it to you.”

"Fine. Fine! Fine! You win. Your identical twin is just toooo ugly for your basic contouring skills. I’ll just watch you.”

Dennis paused. Then, shrugging, dennis got out some of his foundation. Their entire makeup bag consisted of MAC and nyx and e.l.f. they’d stolen from the mall and their mother. Most of it was off a few shades from both of their skin, but it wasn’t like Barbara would buy Dee makeup, let alone Dennis.

“Alright, look, just—“ Dennis fumbled with the stick foundation. Dee’s eyes met his in the mirror as she sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. Dennis stalled himself but Dee pushed at his elbow to encourage his arm to push the stick toward his face. 

“You just…?”

Prompted, Dennis looked back at his own face and started to shade his cheek bones, forehead, nose, and chin. Dee wrinkled her face as she watched.

“I’m not done yet!”

“Whatever, whatever… ouch! Didn’t have to fuckin’ hit me…”

Dennis blended in the makeup with practiced ease and then glanced around for the light stick foundation to get the highlights on his nose, under his eyes, and along his jaw. His face disassembled itself in front of his eyes but then, with just an extra touch, Dennis' face righted itself. He stared himself in the eyes and surveyed his work. He didn’t stop looking.

“… There.”

“Looks good, Den. Your nose isn’t an anteater’s any more. Sorta.” Dee reached to pinch his nose and Dennis snapped her hand away. “You can’t do that to me, too? It looks so easy.”

Dennis didn’t answer. He just stared more at himself in the mirror. Dee said nothing as Dennis took out the eyeliner and mascara. He applied those easily and ignored Dee looking at him; she stopped staring and just sat back. Dennis added lipstick and a little bit of blush and sat back in a perfect copy of his sister before he went for the setting spray. Dee stopped his hand.

“Mom’ll see.”

Dennis pulled his hand back to himself. He still looked at himself in the mirror. He didn’t notice when Dee smiled at him in it. 

“… You look pretty, Den.”

“Yeah… I do.” 

“… You know, Mom won’t–” 

“She will.” 

“I was okay?” 

“That’s different.” 

“… I know. If you ever want me to… do anything? Call you something different, I can–” 

“No.” Dennis’ sharp words cut her off before Dee suggested anything more. His heart was turning into powder and cracking. Dennis turned to yell at Dee but she was already gone. Later, Dennis found two of his mother's earrings under his pillow and a post-it note with a list of similar names to Dennis. Dennis repeated each and every one of them over and over before they fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> in case this wasn't clear, they're identical twins and that bit in the beginning about "knowing" is barbara being transmisogynistic and insinuating that people "know" dee's trans


End file.
